Mad #381

This 1999 issue of MAD captures the late-'90s video game obsession perfectly, with Scott Bricher's cover depicting a wide-eyed kid gripping a joystick as a dual-pistol-wielding Lara Croft bursts forward from his television screen, apparently shooting right back at him. The headline promise of "My Love Affair With Lara Croft!" — paired with coverage of Tomb Raider, sci-fi, and the NBA — makes this a satisfyingly packed snapshot of pop culture at the turn of the millennium. MAD's sharp satirical eye is on full display here, skewering gamer culture with the same affectionate irreverence the magazine brought to everything it touched.